Phytochemical and Analytical Evaluation of Kachnal (Bauhinia racemosa Lam.) Bark

Background: Bauhinia racemosa Lam (BR), an ethnomedicinally important plant is used in various indigenous systems of medicine for the cure of variety of ailments. Its bark is reported to have antifilarial, abortifacient, anthelmintic, analgesic, antipyretic, antimalarial, anti-ulcerogenic, hepatoprotective and various other pharmacological activities. Maintaining quality standards of herbal drugs is the need of today, because of its increasing demand. Aims: The present study was designed to set standard phytochemical and analytical profile of the bark of BR. Materials and Methods: Pharmacognostical, physicochemical and fluorescence parameters along with pH value of the bark of BR were determined. HPTLC fingerprinting was carried out by the CAMAG HPTLC system. Results: The loss on drying, total ash, water-soluble ash, acid-insoluble ash, yield of alcohol-soluble crude extracts, yield of water-soluble crude extracts and pH (1% aqueous extract) were found to be 9.1%, 12.5%, 1.5%, 3.0%, 9.25%, 12.5% w/w and 6.96 respectively. Phytochemicals like carbohydrate, steroid, saponin, alkaloid, anthraquinone glycosides, flavonoid and phenolic compounds were found to be present in the methanolic extract. The fluorescence seen in UV light was of different colour in different solvents. 5 peaks were revealed in HPTLC analysis at wavelength 254 nm with max R-f values in the range of 0.47 to 0.94. A peak with max R-f value of 0.55 comparable to that of quercetin was obtained suggesting the presence of quercetin like flavonoid. Conclusions: The present study will help the future scientists for the correct identification, quality and purity of BR bark or pharmaceutical preparations prepared from it.